HTML Frames: Practical Uses for a Frame
Probably the most popular use of frames is for a Table of Contents or Index to navigate through
web pages. Here is a quick example of a Heading and TOC frame page.
HTML Frames: Tips and Pitfalls
- Make sure it makes sense to use frames, don't use them just BECAUSE YOU CAN.
- Watch your targets!!! Setup a base target whenever possible.
- Whenever you go outside your pages make sure you target is "_top". Other pages where not
designed to fit within your frames!!
- Have an option to view you pages without frames. Some browsers do not handle frames and
some people may not like them.
- On frame-based documents the back & forward buttons on some browsers are useless.
- The URL displayed does not change, so it defeats being able to bookmark a certain framed
page.
- Avoid set frames with absolute sizes, use relative and percentage sizes whenever
possible. You have no control over the size on the user's browser and your absolute size
may not look as designed.